Zuo Xiuhua's face was also grim. Her gaze suddenly fell on the tiger-headed banner dropped by the maidservant. She bent down, picked it up, and after a moment's thought, said, "Once this reaches the Emperor, it will be beyond our control. You quickly send word to the Eighth Prince, and I will handle the rest. Remember, when we face the Emperor, no matter how he questions you, you must stick to what we've agreed."
The Eighth Prince's Consort nodded and immediately had her trusted mammy go deliver the message to the Eighth Prince.
Zuo Xiuhua looked at the Eighth Prince's Consort's panicked demeanor and sighed heavily. However, as she looked at the tiger-headed banner in her hand, she wasn't as flustered. After all, with irrefutable evidence, if Ji Zizhao dared to bring this before the Emperor, she was practically inviting her own doom!
Ji Zizhao had instructed Wei Hongzhao to escort the person to the palace precisely to find a witness. Otherwise, if someone later accused her of bribing the maidservant beforehand, who would she turn to for justice?
Wei Hongzhao, riding his horse to the palace, was much faster than Ji Zizhao. By the time Ji Zizhao alighted from her carriage and stepped through the palace gates, the news had already spread throughout the palace. However, the Imperial study was different from other parts of the palace. Without the Emperor's summons, even imperial concubines were not allowed to approach freely, let alone someone of her status.
Yet, Ji Zizhao knew that sending the person before the Emperor was only the beginning.
She surmised that Zuo Xiuhua would have already contacted Xie Jingzhou. As for how they would continue to slander her, she was unsure. But since she dared to bring the person into the palace, she wasn't afraid of anything.
All she could do now was to wait in Fengyi Palace for the Emperor's summons.
In Fengyi Palace, Nanny Dai, upon hearing of Ji Zizhao's arrival, quickly put down her work and walked out. "Why has the Fourth Prince's Consort come at this hour?"
Ji Zizhao smiled and said, "I happened to be entering the palace and thought I'd pay a visit to Her Majesty the Empress."
Nanny Dai hastily ushered her towards the sleeping quarters. "What an unfortunate coincidence. Concubine Sun just suddenly fainted in her chambers, and Her Majesty the Empress is with Concubine Sun right now."
Ji Zizhao frowned slightly.
Concubine Sun was the Eighth Prince's birth mother.
She had barely entered the palace when Concubine Sun fainted. Was it truly such a coincidence?
Nanny Dai noticed Ji Zizhao's displeased expression. "Does the Fourth Prince's Consort have something on her mind?"
Ji Zizhao knew Nanny Dai was a trusted confidante of the Empress. There was nothing to hide, so she recounted the day's events. "When I entered the palace, the news that the maidservant had been sent to the palace was already circulating. Yet, Fengyi Palace alone seemed unaware. I fear someone deliberately intercepted the message."
Nanny Dai, an elder in the palace, was sharp-minded and understood the implications immediately. "I can't believe these people would resort to such underhanded tactics!"
Knowing that the Fourth Prince's Consort was entering the palace, yet deliberately withholding the news from Fengyi Palace, and specifically keeping the Empress away beforehand – this was clearly an attempt to cut off the Fourth Prince's Consort's support!
When Ji Zizhao brought the person into the palace, she naturally intended for the Empress to preside.
After all, compared to Xie Jingzhou, her own strength was limited. Moreover, the Empress understood the Emperor best and could help him make a more accurate judgment. She hadn't expected Xie Jingzhou's faction to move so swiftly, preventing her from even meeting the Empress.
As they were speaking, an eunuch from the Imperial study arrived at the door. "His Majesty summons the Fourth Prince's Consort to the Imperial study for an audience immediately!"
Nanny Dai's heart sank. She hurried out first and slipped a bulging purse into the eunuch's hand. "Does Your Excellency know anything? Perhaps you could tell me?"
The eunuch knew Nanny Dai was the Empress's confidante and saw no reason to offend her. He accepted the purse and lowered his voice. "Nanny Dai, you're making things difficult for me. I'm just a messenger for His Majesty's pronouncements and can't get close to the Emperor. However, before I came to deliver the message, I heard the sound of things being smashed in the Imperial study."
Who else would be smashing things openly in the Imperial study?
Naturally, it was the Emperor!
Listening to Nanny Dai's conversation with the eunuch, Ji Zizhao's nerves tightened. She feared that those people had concocted something else to slander her. Judging by the Emperor's reaction, it seemed he had believed them. Her summons now was undoubtedly for a reprimand.
When Nanny Dai turned to look at Ji Zizhao, she was so worried she could barely speak. Her greatest fear now was that Ji Zizhao would enter the Imperial study and never come out!
Ji Zizhao knew the situation was unfavorable. However, she hadn't brought the person into the palace without any forethought. It was just inconvenient to explain the details to Nanny Dai at the moment. She nodded to Nanny Dai and followed the eunuch out of Fengyi Palace.
After watching Ji Zizhao depart, Nanny Dai could no longer stand still. She hastily entrusted the care of Fengyi Palace to Baihe and hurried straight to Concubine Sun's chambers.
Unexpectedly, before she could even enter Concubine Sun's courtyard, she was stopped.
"Concubine Sun is still unconscious and cannot be disturbed by anyone!"
Nanny Dai looked at the palace attendant blocking her way and summoned her authority. "I am someone from Her Majesty the Empress's side. I have urgent matters to discuss with Her Majesty the Empress. If the matter is delayed, who among you will bear the responsibility!"
Normally, who would dare to obstruct someone from the Empress's side?
But today, the palace attendant blocking Nanny Dai clearly had no intention of backing down.
Seeing this, Nanny Dai's heart sank. She feared someone had instructed these servants beforehand, otherwise, how would these servants dare to block her from seeing the Empress like this?
Looking further into the courtyard, Nanny Dai's heart began to pound even faster.
She saw that the courtyard was filled with maids and nannies accompanying various concubines who had come to visit Concubine Sun. However, upon counting, Nanny Dai realized that the people from Huaqing Palace were conspicuously absent!
Noble Consort Xi wasn't here, so where could she be...
The Imperial study!
The moment these two words flashed through her mind, Nanny Dai swayed, almost unable to stand.
Those people clearly intended to frame the Fourth Prince's Consort. Now, they had managed to distract the Empress, but only Noble Consort Xi had gone to the Imperial study. Considering Noble Consort Xi's influence with the Emperor, how could Nanny Dai not be afraid?
This was clearly an attempt to push the Fourth Prince's Consort to her death!
And if the Fourth Prince's Consort were truly framed, then Her Majesty the Empress...
The more Nanny Dai thought about it, the more her heart raced. She dared not continue down that line of thought!
"Her Majesty the Empress, your humble servant requests an audience!" Nanny Dai, having made up her mind, shouted loudly.
In the sleeping quarters, Empress Zhong heard the commotion in the courtyard and was about to go to the window to look when Concubine Sun, who had been unconscious, suddenly opened her eyes and grabbed Empress Zhong's hand.
Seeing this, Empress Zhong had no choice but to stop and turn to sit by the bedside.